


To the Storms of Life

by teprometo



Series: 2012 Summer Pornathon [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: First Time, M/M, Rimming, Team Gluttony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-14
Updated: 2012-07-14
Packaged: 2017-11-10 17:30:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/468862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teprometo/pseuds/teprometo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is quite optimistic for a starving farmboy. For a time, Arthur gives him something to be cheerful about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To the Storms of Life

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for challenge five of the 2012 Summer Pornathon, [Myth and Legend](http://summerpornathon.livejournal.com/82909.html).
> 
> This fic was inspired by Baltzli, a piece of Swiss folklore, which you can read here if interested:  
> [Title Page](http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/8817/78568378.jpg) | [Page One](http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/581/94072866.jpg) | [Page Two](http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4677/25924267.jpg) | [Page Three](http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4431/28491580.jpg)
> 
>  _Be thou the rainbow to the storms of life,_  
>  The evening beam that smiles the clouds away,  
> And tints to-morrow with prophetic ray!  
> \- The Bride of Abydos. Canto i. Canto ii. Stanza 20, Lord Byron

Sweat dripped down Merlin’s face. The land was hard, and the proprietor was watching, so he had to till it all with only the force of his muscles.

It was a dirty job that only paid in mouldy bread, but it was better than starving, and Merlin rejoiced in the little things.

As he lay under an apple tree fantasising about the fruit it would eventually bear, he swept his fingers across the sky, drawing a brilliant rainbow to keep him cheerful and to help him ignore the rumbling of his belly.

***

“It’s like magic,” said a man off to Merlin’s left.

Merlin sat up abruptly, whipping his head around to look at the intruder. The man was looking up at the sky in wonder, not a hint of malice on his face. Merlin took a chance and patted the ground beside him, saying, “Is it, now?”

The man, who introduced himself as Arthur, grinned and sat beside Merlin, unpacking a seemingly bottomless satchel and handing Merlin a generous helping of ham and cheese.

They chewed more than spoke and lay down to sleep easily, as if they had always set up camp together.

Sensing Arthur’s body mere inches away that night, his belly full, Merlin thought he’d found heaven.

***

Heaven, it turned out, was subjective.

After some time, midnight rainbows and an endless food supply became heated skin and desperate passion.

As Merlin was painting the sky, Arthur climbed on top of him and pressed his tongue past Merlin’s lips, pushing into his mouth and staying there. Only when Merlin’s hands were clutching Arthur’s shoulders and his hips were rocking up into Arthur’s did he pull back and press a series of gentle kisses to Merlin’s lips.

His wet mouth against Merlin’s ear, Arthur whispered, “Can I fuck you?” and Merlin may have said, “God, yes,” or he may have merely ground his cock against Arthur’s, willing him to feel the way Merlin wanted him.

Whichever it was, Arthur ended up kneeling between Merlin’s legs, his arse up in the air. He licked sloppily along Merlin’s cock, kissing him from root to tip before he pulled the head into his mouth and sucked.

As Arthur worked his mouth over his prick, Merlin thanked every star in the colourful sky for this beautiful dream.

***

Every day at dawn when Merlin set off to tend the farm, Arthur would whisper against Merlin’s brow, “I’ll come back if I can.”

***

It wasn’t a dream. His own tongue pressing against Arthur’s hole weeks later was evidence of that.

Arthur rocked back against Merlin’s face, groaning his pleasure, begging for Merlin’s cock, and Merlin gave it to him.

He pressed in and leaned forward, sinking his teeth into Arthur’s shoulder and revelling in the perfection of Arthur’s moans.

“Fuck you like this always,” Merlin said, and Arthur grasped his hand, squeezed his fingers as his arse squeezed his cock.

“Love your body,” Merlin grunted. “Love your beautiful fucking body.”

He pulled out and pushed Arthur onto his back, wanting to see his face, to watch his chest rise and fall and his mouth fall open in pleasure.

Merlin watched his cock press inside Arthur’s body, leaned forward and kissed Arthur deeply. He ran a thumb across Arthur’s brow, trying to push the excess of his affection into Arthur’s skin.

He wrapped his fingers around Arthur’s prick and tugged, needing Arthur to come for him. He said as much, telling Arthur how much he loved to watch him.

Merlin raised up onto an elbow, one hand still working Arthur’s cock. Arthur’s fingers tightened around Merlin’s biceps, and Merlin watched his face as he came, lips parted, head tipped back, eyes open and laid bare.

Watching his lover come undone for him was the greatest gift Merlin had ever been granted. He cradled Arthur’s cheek, smearing his release over the perfect display of Arthur’s chest.

***

When Arthur did not return one day, nor any day after, all that remained was the heavy burden of loss. Merlin had known joy, had tasted it on Arthur’s lips, and though Merlin spent every evening trying to recall the character of Arthur’s scent, he felt no regret.

The apple tree was in bloom and would soon bear fruit, just as serenity had been borne in Merlin. Eating his mouldy bread, Merlin smiled and drew a rainbow across the night sky, because Arthur had loved him, and no amount of hunger could erase his gratitude.


End file.
